Almost 50 Police officers are now involved in the ongoing investigation into the missing Cooper twins ? although Police Commissioner Jonathan Smith has conceded the likelihood of them being found alive is ?diminishing? with every passing hour.

Speaking at a Press conference yesterday afternoon, Mr. Smith revealed that two additional arrests have been made in relation to the alleged assault on the Cooper twins at a house on Crown Hill Lane in Devonshire while two more men have been apprehended in connection with the arson attack on Thursday night.

Some individuals arrested last week were released over the weekend, the Commissioner said, while a total of four people are currently in custody.

?Additional arrests cannot be ruled out at this stage,? he said.

?The investigative team is liaising with Department of Public Prosecutions and many lines of investigation are being pursued and will be pursued in the coming days...I can also confirm we are in possession of two vehicles which are of considerable interest to the investigative team...We do believe that there is more information out there and we do believe that there are individuals not yet apprehended who know where the twins are.?

A source close to the investigation told on Sunday that Police increasingly suspect the twins are dead while revealing investigators believe their bodies have probably been dumped in the ocean.

The source also confirmed the abduction of the twins was related to the theft of a large amount of money from an underground gambling den and that the twins were tortured and beaten with baseball bats at the house on Crown Hill Lane, resulting in very serious injuries.

However, while Mr. Smith would say evidence collected at the crime scene has provoked ?grave concerns? over their state of health, he nonetheless insisted investigators are not in a position to ?eliminate or substantiate? certain possibilities as to the twins? whereabouts.

?I?ve got to bear in mind when I speak that there is a matter before the court and you will be aware with what that individual is charged,? he said.

?And it is obvious from the Marine Police?s involvement that we are looking for evidence of the Cooper twins? whereabouts in that area. Equally we are pursuing many lines of investigation on land as well.

?I cannot give you any tangible indication as to how long the search will continue but I can say that we will go for as long as is necessary and until every line of enquiry is exhausted. But suffice to say that we are gravely concerned about the welfare of Jahmal and Jahmil Cooper and those concerns have been borne out by evidence from the crime scene and information known to us about the activities which took place at that house on Crown Hill Lane last Sunday.?

Meanwhile, the Commissioner was forced onto the defensive following persistent questioning over how arsonists were able to gain access to the house without being detected ? with Mr. Smith admitting the drastic nature of the attack had caught Police off guard.

But he rebutted the suggestion that employing officers with only a few months of experience on Bermuda?s streets to guard such a major area of the investigation was inappropriate.

And while the fire was a ?hindrance? to the forensic investigation being conducted there, the damage was not so bad as to prevent any significant evidence being lifted from the scene.

?There is no doubt that the attack on the house was a very determined one,? he said.

?And it is entirely possible that even if additional officers had been there the house would still have been subject to attack. There is no question it has been a hindrance to us and we?ve taken additional steps to secure the crime scene.

?I appreciate that the observation [regarding the officers? limited experience might be made and all I can do is try to balance that with the reality of what we are dealing with here. The house itself sits right on two public roads which has provided an additional challenge to us to properly secure it.

?I?m not making an excuse. But the attack still could have happened if two 25-year veterans had been there. It just so happened that at the time of the attack the two officers were both on the other side of the house. It is unfortunate, but you must also bear in mind that even the newest trained officers can be called upon to save lives and have done so in the past. So the experience issue is not the biggest issue. The nature of the attack on this house after it had been declared a crime scene was unprecedented for us and we have certainly learned some lessons from it.?

Anybody with any information in relation to the missing twins is again asked to call the investigative team at 299-4239 or 299-4315.

Members of the public can also call the Crimestoppers hotline on 1-800-623-8477.